Dimonds Are For Lovers

John & Wendy Kilburn

Love is all around us and we here at The Mine are caught up in the feeling. When two lovebirds say their I dos with a pair of Dimonds, it makes our hearts beat. We asked these Dimond owners how they share the love in their life in and out of sport.

Wendy, John, please tell us a little bit about yourselves.

W: Registered nurse working with patients with Multiple Sclerosis, mommy of 3, married to my best friend, from Canada.

J:I am originally from Ottawa, Canada. I moved down to the US in 1999 for a three month contract position with Transocean Offshore Drilling in Pascagoula, MS. 19 years later I’m still here! Currently, I am a Project Engineer with Transocean’s Upgrade & Repair Group. We both like good food, good wine, sleeping in (when we can), and training together. Frankly, anytime I get to do things with Wendy, I’m happy☺

How did you meet?

W: Training – of course!

J:I remember the very first time we met was at a triathlon spin class. Wendy, who was a coach for that local racing group at the time, came up before the start and introduced herself to me (Wow! I thought!). We crossed paths again on a team run at Memorial Park and again at a local sprint triathlon. But the time that I remember most was coming out of our gym after a workout and Wendy pulling up to me in the parking lot to say Hi. We had a brief conversation about upcoming races and our first date was just a few days after! Ha, I also recall when she suggested we go out for some drinks (I’m shy!), I declined because I had an early morning workout the next day and suggested the following night instead! Not impressed!☺

Any plans for Valentine’s Day?

W:I always leave Valentine’s Day up to John to plan…since it was on this day that he proposed to me. I always make sure we are flush with chocolate though!

J:Yes, every year. Valentine’s Day was the day I asked Wendy to marry me. It will always be special to us both. We always make plans to go out on a quiet romantic dinner somewhere in Houston.

What is your favorite couples destination race and why?

W: Cozumel was our 1st destination race, so it will always be special.

J:Yes, Cozumel for sure. I asked Wendy to Sherpa me (or she asked me!) at IM Coz in 2012 after only knowing her for a very short time. It was a crazy proposal (we both thought at first), but I knew without question that I was madly in love with her there.

How do you make it work balancing work, kids, training, etc.?

W:Alarm goes off at 4:20, and there are always many balls in the air.

J:It’s always a challenge, but we’re lucky because everything is close to the house (except long bike rides!). Our work, the kid’s school, the gym, long runs are all within a few miles of the house. We have also built a great pain cave in the garage and make time to train together as much as possible. The kids (that are still at home) are both in their teens and are very independent, which helps!